April 21, 2014 | New York, NY— National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa announced last week that HB Studio is one of 886 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant. HB Studio is recommended for a grant to support professional development courses, workshops, labs, and residencies.
These programs offer artists opportunities to both strengthen core competencies in acting, playwriting, and directing, and to experiment with new skills that expand their repertoire. Theatre artists, like artists in all fields, require time and space away from audiences and critics to hone their craft. Each artist faces different hurdles as he or she progresses professionally. Some actors are pigeonholed into roles; some directors become the go-to person for a particular style; some playwrights take time away to raise families or seek work in other fields. These programs provide these artists a supportive and challenging environment to go out on a limb artistically and break creative habits; to build the needed versatility to become competitive in new areas of their business; and to test new ideas that are not yet ready for public evaluation.
NEA Acting Chairman Shigekawa said, “The NEA is pleased to announce that HB Studio is recommended for an NEA Art Works grant. These NEA-supported projects will not only have a positive impact on local economies, but will also provide opportunities for people of all ages to participate in the arts, help our communities to become more vibrant, and support our nation’s artists as they contribute to our cultural landscape.”
Art Works grants support the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, public engagement with diverse and excellent art, lifelong learning in the arts, and enhancement of the livability of communities through the arts. The NEA received 1,515 eligible applications under the Art Workscategory, requesting more than $76 million in funding. Of those applications, 886 are recommended for grants for a total of $25.8 million.
For a complete listing of projects recommended for Art Works grant support, please visit the NEA website at arts.gov.